Next Generation Internet Program: Challenges and Opportunities

The Next Generation Internet Program is a complex and ambitious project that's been gaining momentum. It's designed to create a more secure, reliable, and efficient internet infrastructure.

One of the key challenges is ensuring that the new network can handle the increasing demand for bandwidth and data transfer. According to the program's goals, the new network should be able to support speeds of up to 1 Tbps.

The project also aims to improve the security of online transactions and data exchange. This will involve the development of new encryption methods and protocols that can protect sensitive information.

The Next Generation Internet Program has the potential to revolutionize the way we communicate and access information online.

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The Next Generation Internet Program is a crucial initiative that requires public funding to thrive. Funding is essential for nurturing new Free Software technologies and ensuring the independence and resilience of our infrastructure.

Large parts of our infrastructure are based on Free Software projects, which guarantee the necessary independence and resilience. This is a particular problem because cancelling funding means curtailing our own autonomy.

Public money is more important than ever to support Free Software alternatives in internet infrastructure. The EU's Digital Markets Act aims to create fairer and more competitive markets, and Free Software is key to achieving this objective.

Device Neutrality and a free and open internet are impossible to achieve without the commitment of the public sector to maintain a vigorous and sustainable ecosystem of viable software alternatives. We need to secure funding for Free Software solutions to disentrench gatekeepers.

We call for public funds to be made available again immediately and for funding to be secured in the medium to long term. This is the only way to successfully drive the digitalisation of Europe forward.

The Next Generation Internet Program is facing a significant challenge. A blow to the vast NGI ecosystem is expected due to the elimination of the cascade funding system in the current draft proposal for Horizon Europe 2025.

Many Free Software projects and other beneficial research and innovation projects will be deprived of vital funding, which has us worried about their future. This includes ongoing grassroots level projects that are already struggling to stay afloat.

The loss of funding will have a ripple effect, impacting not only the projects themselves but also the community that relies on them. The future of many Free Software projects is uncertain, and it's hard to predict what will happen next.

The NGI ecosystem is facing a significant setback. The cascade funding mechanism, which has been instrumental in funding grass-root innovators, is not being renewed in the current draft proposal for Horizon Europe 2025.

This decision will have a ripple effect on many Free Software projects and other beneficial research and innovation initiatives that rely on this vital funding. The absence of this funding will likely deprive these projects of the necessary support to continue their work.

The NGI ecosystem is built on the contributions of pioneering researchers, developers, and innovators who have shaped the internet as we know it today. Without the cascade funding mechanism, it's unclear how these innovators will be able to sustain their projects and continue making a positive impact on the internet.

The decision to discontinue funding for the NGI initiative is puzzling, especially considering its positive impact. An impact study found that 57% of the over 1,000 projects funded by NGI offer viable alternatives to existing market solutions.

Despite these successes, NGI is now left without alternative funding, which will harm the Free Software ecosystem and EU innovation. The study also notes that 74% of the funded projects continue to operate post-funding.

The EC has declined to comment on its reasoning for striking funding from its budget, leaving the future of NGI uncertain. The allocation of more funds for AI has raised concerns that internet infrastructure is being left by the wayside.

The NGI initiative is contributing to the protection of European values expressed by the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles. These values include privacy protection, user control and choice, inclusion, and decentralisation.

The NGI initiative is also contributing to the development and uptake of digital commons in the area of internet technologies, which is directly aligned with the EU's vision for an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet.

The NGI0 Commons Fund program is helping to deliver, mature, and scale new internet commons across the technology spectrum, which is crucial for achieving digital security and long-term operational availability.

The Next Generation Internet Program has a grant structure that supports various initiatives. The NGI Zero Entrust grant programme awards projects EUR 5,000 to EUR 50,000 to contribute to research and open source development.

There are three main grant programmes: NGI Zero Entrust, NGI Zero Core, and NGI Zero Review. Each programme has its own focus and goals, but they all aim to improve the internet's trustworthiness and security.

NGI Zero Entrust focuses on strengthening the trustworthiness, openness, and security of the internet, while NGI Zero Core aims to modernise the internet by funding free and open source technological building blocks. NGI Zero Review, on the other hand, supports the quality and maturity of digital commons by offering various targeted services to free and open source projects.

Here's a brief overview of the grant programmes' timeframes:

Zero Entrust is a grant programme that invests in technology commons to strengthen the trustworthiness, openness, and security of the internet.

It focuses on developing robust software applications, open standards, and open hardware devices that can be verified from the bottom up.

Between 2022 and 2025, this programme will be able to award projects a grant of EUR 5,000 to EUR 50,000, and potentially even more.

If you're interested in learning more about Zero Entrust, you can continue reading about the ongoing projects, or even propose your own project to contribute to research and open source development in this field.

To do so, make sure to read the guide for applicants and the frequently asked questions to ensure you have all the necessary information.

The consortium involved in the NGI Entrust programme is made up of members who are dedicated to making the internet a more trustworthy and secure place.

The NGI Zero Review is a three-year support programme that offers targeted services to free and open source projects within the Next Generation Internet initiative.

Its goal is to improve the quality and inclusiveness of these projects, and make them more sustainable by supporting the most promising ideas to live up to high standards in terms of security, privacy, accessibility, open source licensing compliance, standardisation, etc.

The NGI Zero Review aims to improve the quality and maturity of digital commons, supporting projects that work towards creating a more resilient, trustworthy, and open internet.

NGI Zero Review provides various services to free and open source projects, including support for security, privacy, accessibility, and open source licensing compliance.

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The Next Generation Internet Program is a comprehensive initiative that aims to strengthen the trustworthiness, openness, and security of the internet. The program has three main components: NGI Zero Entrust, NGI Zero Core, and NGI Zero Commons.

NGI Zero Entrust invests in technology commons such as robust and reliable software applications, open standards, and open hardware devices. It awards projects between EUR 5,000 to EUR 50,000 (and potentially even more) to contribute to research and open source development in this field.

NGI Zero Core focuses on modernizing the internet by funding free and open source technological building blocks and developing new internet standards. It also aims to bring the next generation of the internet closer, with a similar funding range of EUR 5,000 to EUR 50,000.

NGI Zero Commons has a holistic, full-stack approach to reclaim the public nature of the internet. It helps deliver, mature, and scale new internet commons across the technology spectrum, from libre silicon to middleware, from P2P infrastructure to convenient end user applications.

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These initiatives are designed to tackle the ossification of the internet and other difficult challenges, such as scalability issues, lack of strong privacy and security, and blind spots for energy efficiency. They support new ideas and disruptive core technologies, while evolving and growing existing technologies.

Here are the key components and initiatives of the Next Generation Internet Program:

NGI Zero offers a wealth of free resources for developers and organizations working on next-generation internet projects. These resources include best practices for secure, accessible, and inclusive technology.

Guidance for localization and internationalization of software, multimedia content, and websites is available from Translate House, among other resources. TIMIT provides a guide for secure software development, while Radically Open Security offers a starter on everyday operational security.

The Network Security Group of ETH Zürich documents the process of software standardization, and Petites Singularités and the Center for Cultivation of Technology share resources for free software. Maja Kraljic, APC, has created a diversity and inclusion guide, and ifrOSS answers questions about forking and trademarks.

Here are some additional resources on software licensing and compliance:

The European Commission's Next Generation Internet programme, under the aegis of DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology, has provided financial support to NGI Zero.

NGI Zero has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.

To help make the most of these resources, you can start by checking out the free resources available from NGI Zero, including guidance on localization and internationalization, secure software development, and everyday operational security.

These resources are publicly available and can be found on the NGI Zero website.

One of the ways you can help NGI Zero is by contacting Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, and asking her to make the funds available for the project.

You can also contact the member states and persuade them to advocate for the NGI funds to be made available.

NGI Zero has prepared a list of best practices and tutorials on software licensing, compliance, trademarks, and more.

Here are some of the resources available:

If you're looking to bring the next generation internet to your event, you can fill in the NGI0 speaker bureau form to invite an expert.

The speaker bureau is designed to help you find the right speaker for your event, and you can find more information on how it works by checking out the frequently asked questions below the form.

To fill out the form, simply head to the NGI0 speaker bureau page and follow the instructions.

The Next Generation Internet Program is all about bringing people together through technology. It's a community-driven initiative that fosters collaboration and innovation.

The program's online platform allows users to share knowledge, resources, and expertise, creating a wealth of information that's accessible to everyone. This platform is designed to be user-friendly and inclusive.

Through the program's community features, users can connect with others who share similar interests and goals. This helps to build relationships and partnerships that can lead to new projects and initiatives.

The program's showcase section highlights the achievements and success stories of its community members. This serves as inspiration and motivation for others to get involved and contribute to the program.

Additional reading: Multimedia Program